Best Sports Betting Picks Today: College Basketball, NBA, NHL Predictions for January 31 | Deadspin.com

Victor Wembanyama will certainly inject much-needed life into next month's NBA All-Star Game. The second-year star of the San Antonio Spurs was chosen as a reserve for the contest on Thursday.Best Sports Betting Picks Today: College Basketball, NBA, NHL Predictions for January 31 | Deadspin.com

It didn't take long for the Frenchman to earn respect as one of the league's top players. He will be in action on Friday night when the Milwaukee Bucks visit the Alamo City.Best Sports Betting Picks Today: College Basketball, NBA, NHL Predictions for January 31 | Deadspin.com

The lone Top 25 college basketball game features No. 10 Purdue hosting Indiana in an in-state rivalry that has become one-sided. The Boilermakers have won 15 of the last 19 meetings.

The Colorado Avalanche recently made a major trade, and they are in action Friday against the St. Louis Blues. We will look at that game as well as the NBA and college games mentioned above.

Best Sports Betting Picks Today: College Basketball, NBA, NHL Predictions for January 31 | Deadspin.com

The 7-foot-3 Wembanyama turned 21 earlier this month and is standing out with averages of 24.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.9 blocked shots and 3.7 assists. Nearly half his shots have come from 3-point range, as he often plays small ball instead of a big man's game.

Wembanyama has helped San Antonio get in position to make a run at a Western Conference play-in berth, but he needs more help for the Spurs to become a top-flight team. Milwaukee posted a 121-105 home win over San Antonio on Jan. 8 when Damian Lillard (26), Giannis Antetokounmpo (25) and Brook Lopez (22) all exceeded 20 points.

Antetokounmpo has put together 18 consecutive double-doubles and has scored 34 or more points in five of the past six games.Lillard has scored 20 or more points in 12 straight games. Both those players are also All-Stars.

Milwaukee has been off since losing 125-112 to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday (gosh, Lillard hated that outcome). The Bucks are rested as well as winning nine of the past 12 games. San Antonio has lost five of six.

Spurs +3 spread, -108 (DraftKings)

Best Sports Betting Picks Today: College Basketball, NBA, NHL Predictions for January 31 | Deadspin.com

Purdue point guard Braden Smith is one of the best passers in college basketball and has four 20-point/10-assist games this season. Not impressed? The school says there were only two such games in program history prior to this campaign.

The Boilermakers recently lost to Ohio State to end a 26-game home winning streak but got a new run going with a 91-64 rout of then-No. 21 Michigan on Jan. 24. Particularly impressive in that victory is that Purdue forced 22 turnovers and committed just six.

Indiana badly needs a victory after losing four of its last five games. Sunday's 79-78 home loss to Maryland was extra painful due to the Hoosiers leading by four with 38 seconds left before unraveling. Myles Rice was off the mark from 3-point range as time expired.

The Hoosiers have played just two ranked teams this season and were drubbed both times—89-73 by then-No. 3 Gonzaga on Nov. 28 and 94-69 at home by then-No. 19 Illinois on Jan. 14. All those points are tempting, but Indiana can't hang with upper-echelon squads.

Purdue -12, -112 (DraftKings)

Best Sports Betting Picks Today: College Basketball, NBA, NHL Predictions for January 31 | Deadspin.com

Colorado surprisingly traded star forward Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes as part of a three-team trade on Jan. 24 and has since gone 1-2-0. Rantanen was slated to become a free agent after the season but said he expected to receive an extension offer prior to the March 7 trade deadline.

Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon was not happy to see his linemate and close friend go, but he has to help steer the club forward. Winger Martin Necas came over from the Hurricanes and is now on MacKinnon's line. Center Jack Drury also was acquired.

The Blues just lost all three contests of a three-game homestand and were outscored 11-4. St. Louis is beginning a two-game road swing that includes a stop in Utah. The Blues will then have a pivotal six-game homestand in which they need to win games.

St. Louis parted ways with winger Brandon Saad earlier this week due to his huge drop in production. Regardless, the question is whether the Blues can find the back of the net?

Over 5.5 goals scored, -125 (DraftKings)